Dutch Oven Apple Cobbler Dump Cake Recipe for Camping

This easy Dutch oven apple cobbler dump cake is the perfect camping dessert—just 3 ingredients and no mixing! A cozy cobbler baked over the fire.

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As a scouting family, we are at campouts twice per year right now, and that is about to increase as Tyler starts his last year in Cub Scouts. Right now, I am the Cubmaster of our Pack and also lead Ryan’s Den. Justin is the leader of Tyler’s Den. So we are very involved with our pack and the planning of our camping trips. And a big part of camping is food!

Cooking While Camping

Cooking while camping is very different than cooking at home. We usually get sites with electric hookups, but not always. As a Cub Scout rule, we have to have running water and restroom facilities, but nothing else. It’s made us get very creative with our campfire cooking. Especially since we often have anywhere from 75-100 people at our big Pack campouts. It’s a lot of people to cook for!

Before I was even a leader in Scouts, one dessert that was featured every time was the dutch oven apple cobbler for dessert. I had never cooked in a true Dutch oven before camping. When I was growing up, we had a camper trailer, so we still used the stove and oven for food.

During our campouts in 2020 and 2021 (which included a trip to our local campground, Lake Houston Wilderness Park), we went to food in smaller groups, and I didn’t make the apple cobbler. Boy, did I hear about that! The pack didn’t have a written recipe, so I talked to previous leaders to write down a new recipe for the pack. This is such an easy recipe to make, and the best part is that there are a lot of variations in the flavor depending on which ingredients you use.

What Exactly Is a Dutch Oven Dump Cake?

A Dutch oven dump cake is a no-fuss dessert built around layering simple ingredients and baking them together in a heavy pot. In the camp version, you’ll pour your pie filling into the bottom of a seasoned cast-iron Dutch oven, sprinkle dry cake mix on top, lay pats of butter over the surface, and bake with both heat underneath and on top of the lid until the filling bubbles and the top layer turns golden and crisp. This layered technique allows the fruit or pie-filling base to steam and sweeten while the dry cake mix bakes into a tender, cobbler-style topping. The name comes from the minimal prep — you literally “dump” the ingredients rather than mixing a batter from scratch — and let the Dutch oven do the work.

Tips for Making Dutch Oven Apple Cobbler

To make this recipe easy, you’ll want to purchase the ingredients as listed. We’ve always used the canned apple filling for this since it’s easy to transport, easy to store, and quick. We make multiple Dutch oven cobblers to feed everyone at the campouts. It takes about 30-40 minutes total to have a delicious apple cobbler dessert ready to serve.

If you’re cooking for a smaller group, or have the time, you could try making your own apple pie filling. A simple way to do this is to slice Granny Smith apples and cook them in a pan over the fire with some melted butter, water, and white sugar or brown sugar. This should only take a few minutes for the apple slices to soften slightly. Then you can add a little bit of water and corn starch mixture to the pan to thicken the apples. Finally, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for flavor. Fresh apples will have more taste, but it isn’t always convenient when you’re camping unless you make this ahead of time.

For those who plan to make this at home, I highly recommend a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of it. For obvious reasons, this isn’t feasible when we are at a campground without a freezer to keep it from melting.

• Use a liner or parchment paper for easier cleanup in the Dutch oven.
• Maintain steady heat by placing 6–8 coals underneath and 12–14 on top.
• Rotate the Dutch oven halfway through cooking for even baking.
• Let it rest for 10–15 minutes after baking—it’ll firm up and be easier to serve.
• Pack a trivet or heat-resistant gloves for safe handling over the fire.

Key Equipment and Heat Setup Tips

When you’re cooking this dessert over a campfire or charcoal briquettes, the right equipment and heat setup make all the difference. Use a 10- to 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven (6-quart size is ideal for 8 servings). To make cleanup easier, line the bottom and sides of the oven with parchment or foil in advance. Pre-heat by placing hot coals under the oven, then stack additional coals on the lid. A good rule of thumb: place roughly half the briquettes beneath and half above for even cooking. Rotate both the pot and lid ¼ turn about every 10 to 15 minutes to prevent hotspots. When using a home oven instead of coals, you can pre-heat to about 350 °F and bake uncovered on the middle rack until the edges bubble and the top is golden (usually 30-45 minutes). Resting the dessert for 5-10 minutes after baking helps it set and makes serving cleaner.

What is the Best Dutch Oven?

The best Dutch oven will vary based on your needs. As a Cub Scout Pack, we have multiple dutch ovens. We use a cast-iron Dutch oven for most of our cooking. We prefer the 12-inch 6-quart Dutch ovens as they hold a lot of food. You can also purchase smaller ones if you are making a Dutch oven recipe for the first time and want to just give it a try.

As with all cast iron, if you take care of your pan, it will last a lifetime. Make sure it doesn’t have any moisture left on it when storing, and never use soap or chemicals to clean it. We have a Dutch oven cleaning pad that works perfectly on all of my cast-iron cookware.

One thing I highly recommend is something to line the Dutch oven. We purchase aluminum foil liners that are made specifically for Dutch ovens. But you can also line them with parchment paper or regular aluminum foil.

Make sure you also have the right accessories. The Dutch oven gets extremely hot. We always bring good oven gloves as well as a lid lifter made for the Dutch oven. You can also get a charcoal chimney starter to make your coals ready quicker.

Why Dutch Oven Dump Cake is Perfect for Camping

Dutch oven dump cake is a campfire classic for a reason. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep, you can enjoy a warm, comforting dessert under the stars. The Dutch oven does all the work—no need for fancy tools or precise timing. Plus, cleanup is easy, making this ideal for rustic outdoor cooking.

Troubleshooting Common Results

If your dump cake has a soggy or mushy top, it’s often because of too much liquid in the filling (drain heavy syrup) or uneven heat (rotate pot). If the top remains powdery or under-baked in places, make sure you’ve distributed the butter evenly across the cake mix layer and that the heat above the lid is sufficient. A properly baked dump cake should have a crisp golden surface with bubbling fruit underneath, and you should be able to run a knife through the topping layer with moist crumbs, not raw mix. If it finishes too quickly on the edges and the centre is underdone, reduce your bottom heat or raise the lid slightly for the last few minutes.

Variations

There are other variations of Dutch oven cobbler that you can try. Our pack likes the apple cobbler the best, but we also enjoy the chocolate strawberry cobbler. To change the flavor, you will change out the cans of apple pie filling and the yellow cake mix. Some also suggest different sodas. But you always need the butter on top of the cake for it to cook properly.

Chocolate Strawberry Cobbler

• 2 cans strawberry pie filling
• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 12 oz sprite

Cherry Cobbler

• 2 cans cherry pie filling
• 1 box vanilla cake mix
• 12 oz sprite

Peach Cobbler

• 2 cans peaches
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 12 oz sprite

Apple Spice Cobbler

• 2 cans apple pie filling
• 1 box spice cake mix
• 12 oz root beer

Pineapple Cobbler

• 2 cans pineapple chunks
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 12 oz sprite

Blueberry Cobbler

• 2 cans blueberry pie filling
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 12 oz sprite

Serving Suggestions, Storage & Reheating

For serving, a warm scoop paired with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream brings home the indulgence and balances the sweetness. If you’re camping and don’t have freezer space, let the dessert cool slightly, cover with foil, and keep it in an ice-chest for up to 2 days. At home, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, place in a Dutch oven (or oven-safe dish) for 10-15 minutes at 350 °F until warmed through, or warm individual portions in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, then stir. Re-crisp the topping by broiling for 1-2 minutes if desired. Leftovers also make a fun base for breakfast: spoon warm cake into a bowl, top with yogurt and fresh fruit for a sweet-and-tangy twist.

FAQ

Dutch Oven Apple Cobbler Step by Step

Ingredients

• 2 cans apple pie filling
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 8 tbsp cold butter, sliced
• 12 oz Sprite

Preparation

Prepare about 30 coals for cooking. They should be warm and no longer black.

Oil your Dutch oven well or use a Dutch oven liner.

Pour both cans of pie filling into the Dutch oven.

Evenly spread the cake mix across the top of the filling.

Place the butter slices on top of the cake mix, making sure to spread them out as evenly as possible.

Pour the Sprite on top of the dry ingredients and do not stir.

Place the lid on the Dutch oven, and place about half of the charcoal briquettes under the Dutch oven and the other half on top. Pro tip: If you are making more than one cobbler or dutch oven recipe, you can stack the dutch ovens so the top briquettes of one become the bottom for the other. Then we add firewood around it to make sure the kids don’t accidentally run into it.

Bake for about 20 minutes, then check the cake for a golden brown color. If it isn’t finished, replace the lid and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes until the cake is cooked through.

Dutch Oven Apple Cobbler Leftovers

Storage: If you happen to have leftovers, let them cool completely and store it in an airtight container or cover the Dutch oven with foil. They’ll last in a cooler with ice for up to 2 days.

Reheating: If you are doing outdoor cooking, I suggest placing this in a Dutch oven and warming it the same way. Or you can reheat it in a small pot over the campfire until warmed through, stirring occasionally.

Recipe

Dutch Oven Apple Cobbler

This easy Dutch oven apple cobbler dump cake is the perfect camping dessert—just 3 ingredients! A cozy cobbler baked over the fire.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Course:

Dessert

Cuisine:

American

Diet

Vegetarian

Keyword:

apple cobbler

|

campfire

|

campfire cooking

|

camping

|

dutch oven

|

dutch oven cooking

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

|

Nut-Free

Cooking Method:

Dutch Oven

Servings: 8 servings

5 from 11 votes

Ingredients

• 2 cans apple pie filling (21 oz each)
• 1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 oz)
• 8 tbsp cold butter (sliced)
• 12 oz Sprite

Recommended Equipment

• Charcoal
• Dutch Oven

Instructions

• Prepare about 30 coals for cooking; they should be warm and no longer black
• Oil your dutch oven well or use a dutch oven liner
• Pour both cans of pie filling into the dutch oven
• Evenly spread the cake mix across the top of the filling
• Place the butter slices on top of the cake mix making sure to spread them out as evenly as possible
• Pour the Sprite on top of the dry ingredients and do not stir
• Place the lid on the dutch oven and place about half of the charcoal briquettes under the dutch oven and the other half on top
• Bake for about 20 minutes then check the cake for a golden brown color
• If it isn’t finished, replace the lid and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes until the cake is cooked through

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Nutrition Facts

Dutch Oven Apple Cobbler

Amount Per Serving (1 piece)

Calories 504 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 8g40%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 30mg10%

Sodium 634mg26%

Potassium 101mg3%

Carbohydrates 96g32%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 53g59%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 385IU8%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 146mg15%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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